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Canada owns the top of the podium at least.

Posted by Scott Tribe on February 28, 2010, at 7:05 pm |

With the amazing OT win by Canada on the goal by Sydney Crosby, Canada wins its 14th gold medal – a record # of golds for a host country, and a record # of gold medals won at the Winter Games period. So congratulations to our Canadian Olympic athletes for making us all proud.

Now, I know some folks are jumping all over the place claiming that we really do “Own the Podium” now, and I hate to be a party-pooper just moments after a fabulous hockey game win for Canada, but that’s not the case. Even the Canadian Olympic Committee admits that. Their goal was to win ‘most medals’ – “most Gold medals” was never mentioned at any time beforehand. Despite the late Canadian gold rush, I do not change my stance from last week that the COC still publicly handled that whole situation wrong, in my view.

The goals of the “Own The Podium” program is fine – I think it’s a good thing we support our amateur athletes, and I don’t even have issues with the name, as some did here in Canada and abroad, but I do have an issue with how the COC trumpeted it and boasted about it beforehand.

So what next for 2014? As I said in my prior post talking about the COC and Own the Podium, Let’s try to be a tad lower-key. Just say we want to meet or top our 26 medals, and let it play out that way. There will be less pressure on our athletes to perform, and maybe we really will “own the podium” in 2014.

NOTE/UPDATE at 7:19 pm: As an aside, Harper was very non-committal yesterday to continuing the funding for the OTP program beyond 2 years, and a lot of corporate sponsors and provincial governments seem to have no intention of renewing. So, despite my reservations at the COC, I sincerely hope that the OTP program doesn’t die, because it takes more then 5 years of funding to develop a top notch amateur team.

All the beer and popcorn I can take, but they are mutually exclusive I’m afraid. Too much beer and I can’t get the popcorn into my mouth.

In truth I failed to mention the current governing party once. OTP was not a government program, it was a non-partisan COC initiative. There is good in Canada that is not tied to any party, and OTP is one of them. You keep hating though. I’ll love this country enough for the both of us.

Going after the man instead of the message is the tactic most deployed by a fool.

The reason we didn’t include winning the most gold medals is because we didn’t think it was even a realistic possibility. Canadian athletes, and the Canadian people thought differently though.

Own the Podium was a resounding success, but a Liberal has a hard time seeing the good in Canada when they aren’t running the place.

Those like Tribe who slammed the OTP program should find some humility. You should be embarrased that you’re still trying to find a way to validate your Debbie-downer mentality on a silly technicality.

This country deserves to puff out its chest once and a while, damn the consequences. The days of playing second fiddle and being ok with that are hopefully over. Bravado should be the new Canadian way.

I credit Harper for this success of these Olympics and the new “kick ass” attitude of the Canadian people. Even Brian Williams said it as he signed off. You Liberals are going to have to get used to the new Canada because we now run it.

I give the entire credit to all our great athletes and their parents for giving their children their whole support while encouraging them to work hard at their sport and never give up. As for Brian Wilson, what else was he going to say. He just read the script given to him and that’s all. Lets keep the partisan out of the 2010 Olympics and give the credit to those who deserve it and worked hard to win those medals.

JRK, since when are you part of this government? Pray tell won’t you. FYI there are over 33 million people that will have a say on how this great country will be run. Forget the kick ass attitute because you may soon see whos ass will be kicked.

Congratulation to all the athelets who partisapated in these games and too the young men and women who will become Olympians . We are proud of you all and proud of our great country. Lets keep the partisan out of the 2010 Olympics and give the credit to those who deserve it and worked hard to win those medals. The athletes and not the PM.

JRK, since when are you part of this government? Pray tell won’t you. FYI there are over 33 million people that will have a say on how this great country will be run. Forget the kick ass attitute because you may soon see whos ass will be kicked.

Congratulation to all the athelets who partisapated in these games. We are proud of you all and proud of our great country.

I think Canada did well–broke a record for gold medals and in total medals–look at it per capita, it’s pretty darn good. It’s a pricey moment of egotism, but much less so than the war in Afghanistan, does far less harm, and something to enjoy.

Scott…cant you be happy that ALL our athletes showed up and did their very best? Why are you so negative. I am proud of each and every one of them whether they placed first or last. They did our great country proud and it was great to see so many Canadians thumping our chests for a change. What an incredible Olympics. We should be proud to be CANADIANS!!!

@kmartin, Um, where was my cheap shot at Harper? I said he was very non-committal to renewing the OTP program after it runs out in 2 years. That’s not cheapshot, thats a statement of fact. The Minister of Sport, Gary Lunn was the same way, murmuring about “tough economic times”

I’m still critical of the COC, but they aren’t a branch of Harper’s Conservative Party, last I looked.